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FEAST OF THE BODY AND BLOOD OF THE LORD (‘CORPUS CHRISTI’)

PRIEST: Today we lift our voices in thanksgiving and praise for the ‘inestimable gift’ of the Eucharist;  we lift our eyes to gaze upon the awesome presence of our Lord and Saviour in the poverty of bread and wine;  we lift up our hearts to embrace the love whereby God touches the depths of our being.  In the Eucharist we taste the redeeming Blood of Christ, we enter into the Sacrifice of Christ upon the Cross that saves the whole world. The Body and Blood of Christ we share gives us life, shaping and renewing our lives and our communities:  let us repent the ways we are not the love of Christ…

READER:              The Eucharist is the Sacrament of Unity and Love:
for all divisions among Christians,
                                    for every denial of love in our own hearts

                                                            LORD HAVE MERCY …

The Eucharist is the Sacrament of Healing:
for the ways that our touch and words hurt rather than heal;
                                     for the ways our Church excludes rather than welcomes and feeds

                                                            CHRIST HAVE MERCY …

The Eucharist is the Sacrament of Christ’s Redeeming Sacrifice:
for the ways we do not love with a sacrificial love;
do not forgive with a divine generosity of mercy;
excluding others from our love, friendship and community

                                                            LORD HAVE MERCY …

PRIEST:           May God rain down upon us the Bread of Forgiveness;
                              may Jesus pour out His redeeming Blood that heals our brokenness
                             and liberates freedom and love;
                            may the Spirit draw us into the Unity that reconciles;
                            and bring us all to everlasting life…

                                                            AMEN!

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FEAST OF CORPUS CHRISTI

Jesus is Bread of Life … that the People of the Eucharist may give life and love to the world,  becoming God’s broken bread given to nurture a New World

                            [READER]                 LORD, GIVE US THAT BREAD…
                            [response]                AND FEED YOUR PEOPLE…

Jesus is Bread, Fruit of the Earth … that the People of the Eucharist might always value creation, protect our environment, bring peace to peoples, especially in Sudan, Gaza, Ukraine, and Mali, Cameroon, the Tigray region of Ethiopia, and work for humanity’s harmony with all creation

                            [READER]                 LORD, GIVE US THAT BREAD…
                            [response]                AND FEED YOUR PEOPLE…

Jesus is Bread of the Poor … that the People of the Eucharist will always share bread and freedom with the poorest of our world, especially beloved of God – for the work of our ‘St Nicholas Bread’ Foodbank locally and the mission of CAFOD globally

                            [READER]                 LORD, GIVE US THAT BREAD…
                            [response]                AND FEED YOUR PEOPLE…

Jesus is the Cup of Love … that the People of the Eucharist will grow in prayer,  develop in community, share in relationships that give life and offer healing: that as a parish family we will build an ever stronger community in Mission inspired by our love for the Christ of the Eucharist 

                            [READER]                 LORD, GIVE US THAT BREAD…
                            [response]                AND FEED YOUR PEOPLE…

Jesus is the Cup of suffering … that the People of the Eucharist will listen with love to life’s wounded, stand with courage among the despised, the rejected and the outcast, especially migrants fleeing war, terror and poverty; that we will exclude no-one from the love of Christ in the Eucharist

                            [READER]                 LORD, GIVE US THAT BREAD…
                            [response]                AND FEED YOUR PEOPLE…

Jesus is the Cup of Redeeming Blood … that the People of the Eucharist might sacrifice in order to be a community of forgiveness, a living parable of reconciliation and a wellspring of healing: as we prepare for our general Election in July, we pray peace and cohesion in our diverse multi-cultural nation, and an equal sharing of health care resources between rich and poor nations and an end to child poverty everywhere

                            [READER]                 LORD, GIVE US THAT BREAD…
                            [response]                AND FEED YOUR PEOPLE…

Jesus is Bread of Eternal Life, Cup of everlasting joy .. that the sick be healed and all health-care workers strengthened and supported; we pray especially for …
That the dead be raised to eternal life: in particular … and all killed in war and conflict around the world;
for all whose anniversaries occur at this time …

                            [READER]                 LORD, GIVE US THAT BREAD…
                            [response]                AND FEED YOUR PEOPLE…

Mary, bearer of Christ,  pray with us for our brother gathered into Full Communion today and for our children preparing to met Jesus in the Eucharist for the first time…

                                                                  HAIL MARY…

We pray in a moment of silence…

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FEAST OF THE HOLY TRINITY

PRIEST:          Having for months celebrated the great actions of God in Christ that bring us salvation and life, today we celebrate the being of God: not what God does, but Who God is! Today is a day for gazing with wonder, a day to contemplate the mystery of God Who is Love – always Love, never other than Love! And each one of us, without exception are made in the image and likeness of this God. Today we celebrate that there is such diversity in identity, creating such a profound harmony. So we celebrate who we truly are and all that God wants us to become – a freedom for Love … like God! And yet we know we are not such love! Let us entrust ourselves and the Church to God’s infinite loving mercy …

READER:              Father, you so loved the world You sent Your Only Son
not to condemn, but to save and to give Life:
Confidently we cry out to you ….  

                                                                LORD HAVE MERCY…

Eternal Word and Son, made flesh in the womb of Mary,
You came home into our humanity to set love free within us:
                                    Confidently we cry out to you ….  

                                                                CHRIST HAVE MERCY…

Holy Spirit, love shared between the Father and the Son,
You are poured out into our hearts,
                                     You flow through our lives into the world to renew the face of the earth
Confidently we cry out to you ….   

                                                                LORD HAVE MERCY…

PRIEST:            May the God whose best name is Love …
                               Be the Father who forgives us, the Brother who redeems us,
                               and the Loving Holy Spirit who gives us a new heart,
                               bringing us and all creation to everlasting life

                                                                    AMEN!

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FEAST OF THE HOLY TRINITY

God is perfect Relationship – Love that creates, that both gives and receives, that shares and binds in perfect harmony ….  may the Church everywhere be a living Sacrament of this creative love and unity, that all people might know their true identity and destiny.

                                      [reader:]                  GOD OF LOVE
                                      [response]              HEAR OUR PRAYER

God is perfect harmony at the heart of creation …. We pray for greater respect and reverence for Creation, that we will learn how to live in communion with the Earth,  and harvest it’s resources without polluting and destroying God’s beautiful gift of Creation; we pray too for miracles of peace in our war-torn world, especially in Sudan, Gaza and Ukraine, among the peoples of Myanmar, Cameroon, Mali and Congo

                                      [reader:]                  GOD OF LOVE
                                      [response]              HEAR OUR PRAYER

God is the community of equality that empowers the poor …. as we prepare for our general Election, we pray for all who are denied the basic necessities of life and for all refugees and those seeking safe asylum among us, especially those threatened with transportation to Rwanda: may we safeguard their dignity, made in God’s Image and Likeness; for all political leaders that they will speak with honesty, serve not dominate, welcome not reject and always act with integrity.

                                      [reader:]                  GOD OF LOVE
                                      [response]              HEAR OUR PRAYER

God is our Life-Giver … we pray for Oscar Baptised today, for our children preparing to celebrate their First Eucharist; we pray too for all our young people in this exam season:  may they grow to love Christ more day by day and build with us a loving community of faith, service and witness

                                      [reader:]                  GOD OF LOVE
                                      [response]              HEAR OUR PRAYER

God is Unity …. we pray for deeper bonds of friendship and unity between the Churches, in the service of the mission of the Gospel; may we also build together a greater ‘Fellowship of Believers’ as people of different world faiths seeking to build a multi-cultural society without discrimination of any kind

                                      [reader:]                  GOD OF LOVE
                                      [response]              HEAR OUR PRAYER

God is the love that listens, heals and protects … for all medical and care staff and those researching vaccines and treatments for various serious illnesses and for all who work with the mentally ill …. we pray also for the sick and housebound, especially …
for all who have died recently, and those killed in the conflicts in Sudan, Gaza and Ukraine;
and for all whose anniversaries occurs at this time: …

                                      [reader:]                  GOD OF LOVE
                                      [response]              HEAR OUR PRAYER

Mary, beloved of the Father, dwelling place of the Word made Flesh, overshadowed by the Spirit, pray with us for harmony among all peoples…
                                                                         HAIL MARY…

Let us pray in silence for a moment.

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FEAST OF PENTECOST

PRIEST: Fifty days ago we celebrated Jesus’ Resurrection – now we celebrate the Power of Resurrection set free to transform the world! Today is not only the birthday of the Church in a ferment of Praise and Mission, it is also the beginnings of a New World, a New Creation, for through the Church and beyond it, the Spirit is recreating the face of the earth!  On this Pentecost day, this day of the Spirit bringing the Church to a new beginning, let us welcome, through the Global Synod we are all engaged in, the Spirit’s mighty wind and love’s fire into our lives and our community so that through forgiveness we will ever grow in holiness.

READER:                The Holy Spirit comes as a mighty wind!
For our fears and timidity, our lack of courage,
                                     in witnessing to Jesus and speaking out Gospel Justice! 

                                                                    LORD HAVE MERCY…

The Holy Spirit comes as flames of fire, fire of Love!
For every denial of love that starves the world of hope;
For every division between Christians that hides the face of Christ

                                                                    CHRIST HAVE MERCY…

The Holy Spirit gives us a new language of faith and praise!
That we might ever speak the language of mercy and forgiveness
Healing and hope to our broken but beautiful world 

                                                                    LORD HAVE MERCY…

PRIEST:         May the Father set us free to be Children of God;
                           may Jesus enthroned in Glory pour out upon us the Spirit of Love and Mercy;
                           may the Holy Spirit rush through our lives to lead us to new beginnings
                           and bring all the Creation to everlasting life

                                                                      AMEN!

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PENTECOST DAY MASS

The Spirit clothes the Church with Divine Love … we pray that the Church, led by Pope Francis, Bishop Bosco and the College of Bishops, may unite all peoples, races, classes and cultures in one great human family,  building a universal civilisation of love

                       [reader]                    JESUS BREATHE YOUR SPIRIT…
                        [response]              Fill us Afresh with Your Love

The Spirit reconciles all peoples of the earth … we pray that men and women of violence everywhere will cease resisting the Spirit that urges peace upon them;  that both citizens and world leaders everywhere will give themselves to the task of building peace – we pray especially for Israel/Palestine, the Ukraine, Sudan, the peoples of the Middle East, Mali and Cameroon

                       [reader]                    JESUS BREATHE YOUR SPIRIT…
                        [response]              Fill us Afresh with Your Love

The Spirit renews the face of the earth … we pray that we will learn to live in harmony and respect for the wonder of creation,  working with God’s creative Spirit to heal our damaged earth and bringing true justice that shares the earth’s abundance with all equally

                       [reader]                    JESUS BREATHE YOUR SPIRIT…
                        [response]              Fill us Afresh with Your Love

The Spirit showers gifts of ministry and mission upon the People of God… we pray that this Pentecost each one of us will experience a fresh outpouring of the Spirit’s Charismatic Gifts and so give ourselves generously to the work of the Kingdom – we pray that the Church’s Global Synod will free us to listen to the Spirit and build together a ‘New Way of being Church’

                       [reader]                    JESUS BREATHE YOUR SPIRIT…
                        [response]              Fill us Afresh with Your Love

The Spirit leads us to the heart of our God … we pray for a deepening of the stillness of prayer in our lives, and for the welling up of praise and thankfulness: may we each know how infinitely we are loved by our God who dwells at the centre of our being

                       [reader]                    JESUS BREATHE YOUR SPIRIT…
                        [response]              Fill us Afresh with Your Love

The Spirit sends us out in mission … we pray for all Parish communities everywhere that we will be open to God’s ever-new vision for us, and that together with all Christians of every diversity,  we will work to Proclaim Good News and serve the Kingdom of Justice, Love and Peace; that the whole Church will act with more courage to live out God’s Option for the Poor and protect the vulnerable

                       [reader]                    JESUS BREATHE YOUR SPIRIT…
                        [response]              Fill us Afresh with Your Love

The Spirit heals our every wound, enlightens every darkness: we pray for all suffering the wounds of war, famine and poverty and for all health workers, volunteers and family members who c are for the sick and frail;
the Spirit raises the dead: for all who have died recently, and all victims of hate, gun and knife crime, and those killed in war, especially in Sudan, Gaza and Ukraine
and for all whose anniversaries occur at this time:

                       [reader]                    JESUS BREATHE YOUR SPIRIT…
                        [response]              Fill us Afresh with Your Love

Mary of Pentecost,  help us all to open ever wider our hearts to the Spirit as you did …

                                                             HAIL MARY…

Let us yield to the Spirit praying within us in a moment of silence…

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PENTECOST VIGIL MASS – FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT

[1] THE SPIRIT BRINGS LOVE:

The Scripture says ‘Love is always patient and kind’

O God our Father, may we always be filled with the Spirit of Love. Help us love one another as Jesus loved us. May it be our joy to share your love with all the world, healing every wound and reconciling every division. May this Spirit of Love and Wisdom guide our Pope, Francis, and our Bishop, Bosco, as we seek to serve the Kingdom

sung response: Veni Sancte Spiritus [x2]

[2] THE SPIRIT BRINGS JOY:

        The Scripture says ‘…that your joy be complete’

O God our Life-Giver, may the Spirit of Joy be with us always, that joy promised by Jesus to all who follow his Way, that our witness to the Good News may be ever joyful; we pray particularly for all saddened by bereavement, grief, terminal illness or turmoil at this time  – may their sadness be turned to joy by your healing love

sung response: Veni Sancte Spiritus [x2]

[3] THE SPIRIT BRINGS PEACE: The Scripture says ‘My Peace I give you…’

O God the wellspring of our Peace, may the Peace of Christ which surpasses all understanding always be in our hearts, and everywhere in all the world. We pray especially for peace in lands where there is conflict and war – in particular for Ukraine, Sudan, Israel/Palestine, Mali and the Cameroon 

sung response: Veni Sancte Spiritus [x2]

[4] THE SPIRIT BRINGS PATIENCE:

    The Scripture says ‘We wait for what we do not see in patience’

O God ever patient in waiting upon us, grant us to know when to be patient and long-suffering, and when to share your impatience and love’s anger in the struggles against injustice; may your Spirit teach us right patience as we wait upon your touch, and grant us a patient, caring heart for those we find it hard to love or who have hurt us

sung response: Veni Sancte Spiritus [x2]

[5] THE SPIRIT BRINGS KINDNESS:

      The Scripture says ‘Be kind and tender-hearted to one another’

O God who lavishes us with tender loving, grant us that Spirit of Kindness that will be ever understanding and forgiving after the example of Jesus who befriended all and forgave without limit, disciples who betrayed, denied and deserted Him, and those who nailed him upon the Cross: may kindness be the character of our service, especially in the ministries of Borderlands, the Foodbank and the Parish Office

sung response: Veni Sancte Spiritus [x2]

[6] THE SPIRIT BRINGS GOODNESS:

    The Scripture says ‘Goodness and kindness shall follow me always’

O God of all Goodness, we praise you for your everlasting goodness towards all humanity and our creation. Grant us by your Spirit a hunger for all that is good, gratitude for the goodness in every person and every faith and a heart that listens to the cry of the poor and the cry of the Earth … may your Spirit empower us with action to heal our planet, our ‘common home’ assuring true justice the world’s poor

sung response: Veni Sancte Spiritus [x2]

[7] THE SPIRIT BRINGS TRUST:

        The Scripture says ‘Trust in God and trust in me…’

O God who never leaves us, may your Spirit work in our hearts to bring us to the place of such trust that we will lovingly abandon ourselves into your hands, and offer the gift of trust to one another – may we never disappoint another’s trust in us

sung response: Veni Sancte Spiritus [x2]

[8] THE SPIRIT BRINGS GENTLENESS:

The Scripture says ‘Happy the Gentle, they shall inherit the earth!’

O God of all gentleness, the world is too full of those who act violently and hurt others, even unknowingly. May your Spirit lead us along the paths of gentleness so that you might heal the aggression in our hearts, and by your Spirit’s power we might heal the agressive harshness that wounds our world

sung response: Veni Sancte Spiritus [x2]

[9] THE SPIRIT BRINGS SELF-CONTROL:

 The Scripture says  ‘The Spirit is not timidity, but power, love and self-control’

O God who orders all things for our good and growth, may your Spirit grow in us the self-control that frees spontaneity and freshness in our lives and communities, while enabling us to discern all that will hurt another or ourselves – may we embrace love’s discipline in order to liberate love in each other

sung response: Veni Sancte Spiritus [x2]

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FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER YEAR B

For the unity of the Church, the Vine of God bearing the fruit of love in the world:  for Pope Francis, Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, for the Patriarchs of Constantinople and Moscow, Free Church and Pentecostal leaders

                  [Reader]                LORD WE PRAY…
                  [Response]          Glorify Your Name…

That the world might bear the fruit of peace where there is war, harmony where there is hostility, justice where there is oppression and freedom where people are powerless: we pray for all the peoples of the Middle East, in particular Palestine/Israel, and for Sudan, Mali, Cameroon that their right to peace, security and freedom will be respected by all

                  [Reader]                LORD WE PRAY…
                  [Response]          Glorify Your Name…

That our Parish Family during this time of change will always stay close to Jesus and each other, as Branches on the Vine, and draw life, truth and love from the Spirit of Christ, and experience the excitement of living in the Holy Spirit, using their gifts to shape the Vine of Christ, in a ‘new Way of being Church’

                  [Reader]                LORD WE PRAY…
                  [Response]          Glorify Your Name…

We pray for the Spirit of Wisdom to guide us as we vote in Local Government Elections: may God raise up good leadership and may the voices of the poor and marginalised be heard and their needs addressed 

                  [Reader]                LORD WE PRAY…
                  [Response]          Glorify Your Name…

In the light of the new Law allowing those seeking asylum in UK to be transported to Rwanda, we pray with a repentant heart for more humane and just immigration policies in our land; that our nation will listen with compassion to the cries of those fleeing war, oppression and poverty; that the Home Office will be reformed; and for an end to the denial of the right to  work for those those seeking safe sanctuary among us

                  [Reader]                LORD WE PRAY…
                  [Response]          Glorify Your Name…

For the healing of the wounded branches of the Vine: we pray for all bearing the wounds of abuse, for greater equality of health-care and vaccination provision around the world,  and for all our ageing parishioners; and in particular for …
for all who have died recently, especially … and those who have died  because of war, terror and poverty;
for all whose anniversaries are at this time

                  [Reader]                LORD WE PRAY…
                  [Response]          Glorify Your Name…

Mary, Mother of the Church who bore the fruit that is Christ, pray with us for the unity and mission of our Church…

                                                      HAIL MARY…

We pray in a moment of silence…

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Third Sunday of Easter YB

The disciples told how they recognised Him in the Breaking of Bread:  May the Church always know deeply and love profoundly the Lord’s presence among us in the Eucharist,  and proclaim to the world that He is Risen

                                  [Reader]          LORD, WE PRAY…
                                  [response]     BE RISEN AMONG US!

The Crucified and Risen One greeted His disciples and His world with the words, ’Peace be with you’: for the peace of our war-wounded world throughout the Middle East,  but especially in Israel/Palestine, Yemen, Sudan the Congo, Mali and Cameroon; for all who walk paths of non-violence and reconciliation and may the repression of the people of Myanmar come to an end

                                  [Reader]          LORD, WE PRAY…
                                  [response]     BE RISEN AMONG US!

Peter said, ‘God raised Jesus from the dead and to that fact we are the witnesses’: we pray for our diocese of Clifton as we prepare to welcome Bishop-Elect Bosco MacDonald … may the Holy Spirit guide him with wisdom and courage as we journey to a different and more synodal future and discover new ways to witness to the Risen Christ by building a new way of being Church 

                                  [Reader]          LORD, WE PRAY…
                                  [response]     BE RISEN AMONG US!

‘Touch me and see’ … that we might touch the despairing with hope, the broken with healing, the hardened with mercy,  the impoverished with freedom,  and so witness to the Risen Christ

                                  [Reader]          LORD, WE PRAY…
                                  [response]     BE RISEN AMONG US!

‘So slow to believe the full message of the scriptures’ … that our love and understanding of the Bible might grow;  that the Word of God will always be our food, our joy and our constant inspiration; that our faith in the Living Word will deepen

                                  [Reader]          LORD, WE PRAY…
                                  [response]     BE RISEN AMONG US!

‘You are witnesses to this’ … that as a parish community, we will be faithful to the call and challenge to witness to the Love of Christ and the Life of the Spirit,  creating moments of Resurrection in our Inner City

                                  [Reader]          LORD, WE PRAY…
                                  [response]     BE RISEN AMONG US!

‘See my wounded hands and my side’ … we pray God’s healing for the sick and anguished; we pray in particular for …
we pray eternal Resurrection for all who have died recently, especially … and the victims of the horrifying wars that scar our world at this time, as well as all who fleeing conflict and poverty have died on the refugee journey
and for all whose anniversaries are at this time …

                                  [Reader]          LORD, WE PRAY…
                                  [response]     BE RISEN AMONG US!

Mary, Queen of Peace and Mother of the Church, pray with us for our world

HAIL MARY…

We pray in a moment of silent loving…

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Third Sunday of Easter YB

PRIEST:  The disciples at Emmaus recognise the Risen Lord in the breaking of Bread and rush to tell the Good News to the others in Jerusalem. And there He comes once again to meet us his People:  to stretch out his wounded hands,  to walk our path with his feet pierced with love.  He asks us to nourish him,  with the depth of our love and strength of our faith.  He sends us as His witnesses! Let us allow his Word to draw us again to pray for mercy because as we resist our share in the Cross, so deprive our world of its share of Resurrection.

READER:         For being so slow to believe
                               that love will turn our suffering into resurrection hope…

                                               Lord have mercy…

                                For lacking courage in witnessing to the name of Jesus
                                and to the radical Gospel of our Risen Christ…

                                               Christ have mercy…

                                 Because His resurrection is our Reconciliation;
                                 because His wounded-ness is our wholeness…

                                                Lord have mercy…

PRIEST:      May the God of all life embrace us with mercy;
                        may the Risen Lord touch us with forgiveness;
                       may the Spirit of Easter Joy transform us
into a living parable of reconciliation;
                      bringing us and our world to everlasting life…

                                                AMEN!